THE TRIUMPHS Of LOVE CHASTITIE DEATH TRANSLATED OUT OF PETRARCH BY Mris ANNA HUME EDINBVRGH Printed by Evan Tyler Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majestie 1644. To the most excellent Princesse her Highnesse the Princesse ELISABETH Eldest daughter to the King of BOHEMIA THat my rude lines durst meet the dazeling rayes Of Majesty which from your Princely eyes Would beat the owner back blame them not they Want sense nor had they wit to bid me say Thus much in their behalfe else having heard Y' are mercifull they could not be affeard Or doubting some arrest of sudden death Made haste to be reprived by your breath True glory of your sex whose single name Protecteth vertue and commandeth fame Now you have sav'd them with a looke the rest Assume like boldnesse and desire to taste Like honour since they justly think their claim Better by vertue of great Petrarchs name Whom if they lamely follow t is more grace Then t' have outgone a meaner Poets pace Your milder judgement must the sentence give For which they humbly wait to make them live The humblest of your Highnesse servants ANNA HUME ANOTHER TO HER HIGHNESSE I Doe not dedicate these to delight Or profit you both are the Authors right Nor is it that your Highnesse may protect My part it merits not so much respect Nor that you may examine and compare It lesse deserves such serious Princely care Nor is it gratitude because y' have been Pleas'd to approve some others you have seen Since retribution so farre below Proportion would be worse then still to owe Nor vanity that thus I may have leave To tell the world the honour I receive In that my name hath reacht your sacred eare I hate that emptie vice yet need not feare The censure were it just since 't would make proud The staidest thoughts to be by you allow'd If any aske me What is then my end 'T is to approve my selfe a reall friend To chaste Lauretta whom since I have tane From the dark Cloyster where she did remain Unmarkt because unknown my aime is now To make her happy by attending you Where she may see her truest worth outgone And learn more vertue then she yet hath known The humblest of your Highnesse servants ANNA HUME To the Reader REader I have oft been told Verse that speake not Love are cold I would gladly please thine eare But am loth to buy 't too deare And 't is easier farre to borrow Lovers tears then feel their sorrow Therefore he hath furnish't me Who had enough to serve all three The Triumph of LOVE Translated out of Petrarch CHAP. I. The Argument A vision shews the captived By mighty Love in triumph led IT was the time when I doe sadly pay My sighs in tribute to that sweet-sowre-day Which first gave being to my tedious woes The Sunne now o're the Bulls horns proudly goes And Phaëton had renew'd his wonted race When Love the Season and my owne ill case Drew me that solitary place to finde In which I oft unload my charged minde There tir'd with raving thoughts and helplesse moan Sleep seal'd my eyes up and my senses gone My waking fancie spied a shining light In which appear'd long pain and short delight A mighty Generall I then did see Like one who for some glorious victory Should to the Capitol in triumph go I who had not been us'd to such a show In this soft age where we no valour have But pride admir'd his habit strange and brave And having rais'd mine eyes which wearied were To understand this sight was all my care Foure snowie steeds a fiery Chariot drew There sat the cruel boy a threatning ewe His right hand bore his Quiver arrowes held Against whose force no helme or shield prevail'd Two party-coloured wings his shoulders ware All naked else and round about his chaire Were thousand mortals some in battell tain Many were hurt with darts and many slain Glad to learn newes I rose and forward prest So farre that I was one amongst the rest As if I had been kill'd with loving pain Before my time and looking through the train Of this teare-thirsty King I would have spi'd Some of my old acquaintance but descri'd No face I knew If any such there were They were transform'd with prison death and care At last one Ghost lesse sad than th' others came Who neare approaching call'd me by my name And said This comes of Love What may you be I answer'd wondring much that thus know me For I remember not t' have seen your face He thus reply'd It is the duskie place That dull's thy sight and this hard yoake I beare Else I a Thuscan am thy friend and deare To thy remembrance his wonted phrase And voyce did then discover what he was So we retir'd aside and left the throng When thus he spake I have expected long To see you here with us your face did seem To threaten you no lesse I doe esteem Your prophesies but I have seen what care Attends a Lovers life and must beware Yet have I oft been beaten in the field And sometimes hurt said I but scorn'd to yeeld He smil'd and said Alas thou dost not see My sonne how great a flame 's prepar'd for thee I knew not then what by his words he meant But since I finde it by the dire event And in my memory 't is fixt so fast That marble gravings cannot firmer last Mean while my forward youth did thus enquire What may these people be I much desire To know their names pray give me leave to aske I thinke ere long 't will be a needlesse taske Replied my friend thou shalt be of the train And know them all this captivating chain Thy neck must beare though thou dost little feare And sooner change thy comely forme and haire Then be unfettered from the cruell tie How ere thou struggle for thy liberty Yet to fulfill thy wish I wil relate What I have learn'd The first that keeps such state By whom our lives and freedomes we forgoe The world hath call'd him Love and he you know But shal know better when he comes to be A Lord to you as now he is to me Is in his child-hood milde fierce in his age 'T is best beleev'd of those that feel his rage The truth of this thou in thy selfe shalt finde I warn thee now pray keep it in thy mind Of idle loosenesse he is oft the childe With pleasant fancies nourisht and is stil'd Or made a God by vain and foolish men And for a recompense some meet their bane Others a harder slavery must endure Than many thousand chains and bolts procure That other gallant Lord is conquerour Of conquering Rome led captive by the faire Egyptian Queen with her perswasive Art Who in his honours claimes the greatest part For binding the worlds victor with her charmes His Trophees are all hers by right of armes The next is his adoptive sonne whose love May seem more just
opprest These were my ensignes and I found it best To mixe disdains with favours this your songs Have made already passe through many tongues When I beheld the teares swimme in thine eye I said Without my help I feare he 'll dye Then gave some modest aid when you were bold I said he must be curb'd now pale and cold Now warme and fresh now sad now full of joy I kept thee safe not without much annoy Glad t' have thus finisht 't were enough reward Could I believ 't thus trembling as affeard Not with dry eyes I said she made reply Doe you distrust for what end should I ly A little blushing then went on If to My partiall eye the world esteemed you I held me quiet being throughly blest In that true-true-love knot lockt within my brest The faire report if it be truth I heare Thy praises have acquir'd me farre and neare I much esteem and never more did crave But moderation in thy love to have That onely wanted whiles with signes of woe You would perswade what I did throughly know To open view you did your heart expose My coldnesse hence hence your distemper rose In other things we did like friends agree Joyn'd by a Love from all base passions free My heart was burnt with almost equal fire At least when once I knew thy strong desire But mine I hid whiles yours was open laid When you were hoarce with having often praid For pittie I was silent shame and feare Were cause my great Love did but smal appeare Griefe is of no lesse weight because conceal'd Nor more when by impatience 't is reveal'd Deceit doth not increase nor yet impaire A truth But say Was not my Love then cleare When I receiv'd the lines you sent before Your face and song My Love dares say no more My heart was stil with thee though I restrain'd My lookes and you as having vvrong complain'd Because I gave the most part and vvithdrevv The least yet was not that vvith-held from you A thousand and a thousand times mine eye Was turn'd with pittie on thy misery And ever had continued stil the same But that I fear'd a danger in thy flame And not to leave you in suspence I le shovv What I beleeve you vvil be glad to know In all the rest I found a pleasing fate Onely for one cause I dislik'd my state My place of birth did to my thoughts appeare Too meane and I stil grieve t vvas not more neare Thy flovvry seat yet doe I vvel approve Of any Countrey where I had thy Love Besides the heart in vvhich I place most trust If me thou hadst not known 't is like it must Have elsewhere lov'd so had I got lesse fame You do mistake my Love had been the same Where ever you had liv'd my Starres did raise Me to so high a flame I said much praise And honour have attended me she said How e're it be but I too long have staid Thy joy makes thee forget the wings of time Aurora now brings day the Sun doth climbe Above the Ocean from her golden bed At last about to part and leave me sad She said If you have ought besides make haste And end your speach before the time be past All my past suff'rings your kinde words make light I answered But I grieve without your sight And wish to know if I am like to be Long here or if I soon may follow thee She going thus replide I do beleeve That without me on earth you long must live The End of the Triumph of Death ANNOTATIONS UPON THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH BEst sunne 2. line Meaning Lauretta who dyed in the middest of her age being but 33. yeares old Titania 4. line Aurora the morning called Titania from Titan the Sunne who lodgeth with her True dreames 5. line The morning dreames are held true because the fancie is then most free from vapours A Ladie 6. line Lauretta crowned because she was now a Saint Other crownes did move 7. line Other crowned Saints that came along with her belike hee thought they must dote on her as hee did Doe you live c. 18. line The Italian Commentary makes a long and needlesse discourse to defend the congruitie of this place as if all did not know that those who dreame they see a dead person appeare as if alive doe ordinarily make such a doubt in their sleepe When I receiv'd 129. line Hee had one time as hee used sent her some of his verses and coming himselfe just as they were presented to her shee received them in his presence Italian Commentary My Love dares say no more 130. line She sung a song beginning thus for an undirect excuse of her reservation Flowrie seat 145. line Florence Of any countrey c. 146. line The sense here seemed cleare to mee that Lauretta being well descended but borne in Cabriers an obscure village shee was onely displeased with that particular yet the honour of his love was recompence enough for that misfortune and any place good enough where shee had that honour and if shee had beene borne neare Florence where hee had his birth shee might have beene unknowne to him who had left it his parents being chased from thence by a contrary faction and if hee had not seen her it is like hee might have loved another so should shee have missed that honour to which Petrarch answers That where ever she had beene borne hee must needs have loved her by the influence of his Starres but when I looke on the Italian Commentary I finde hee takes the meaning quite other wayes which I have expressed as neare his sence as I can thus Thy flowry seat for though I well approve Of that faire countrey where I had thy love Yet might that heart in which I trusted stray To other beauties and be turned away By this defect so had I got lesse fame c. As if shee had said her greatest misfortune was feare or jealousie that hee disliking the place in which shee lived though she thought it sweete enough might change his affection and bee drawne to love some other Let him that reads or compares take the sence hee approveth most FINIS Advertisement to the Reader THe first title page should have told thee that all the three Triumphes were translated out of the Italian a circumstance I considered not then since it is thought necessary to say so much I wil now say more I never saw them nor any part of them in any other language but Italian except the poore words in which I have cloathed them If they afford thee either profit or delight I shall the more willingly bestow some of my few leasure hours on turning the other three Triumphs of Fame Time and Divinitie or Heaven Farewell Errata Page 19. line 13. reade amasedly p. 22. r. Massinissa was p. 3â— l. 8. r. mixed for mingled p. 33. r. blowes for wounds p. 35. l. 15. del. now p. 54. l. 5 r. provincial Poets p. 65. l. 22. r. Linternum p. 70. is figured false in the 17. l. of it read know for knew and in the 22. l. r. thy foul for my soul WHen first my light did shine you lik'd me well Now that is gone you hate my loathsome smell You with prolongers made me live and art Preserv'd my light but now Time acts his part Triumphant Time shews now my glasse is run And all must end that ever was begun Envy hath playd its part and I do go To Coffin as I do all must do so Time breaths a shrewd and life-bereaving blast Yet upward flyes my light where it shall last I 'me glad to part from body which I lov'd So deer that many wayes and arts I prov'd This mudwall to maintain and body save But yet in spight of me 't will go to grave This is my comfort Body that thy tombe Which is thy grave shall be thy mothers womb To bring thee once again unto the light And life which death shall never know or night Then be content though you and I depart Yet Soul and Body still shall have one heart And upward flyes my soul where it shall dwell Beyond the reach of Envy Death or Hell
Ladies now 't is not first hold She catch't then bound him fast then such revenge She tooke as might suffice my thoughts did change And I who wisht him victory before Was satisfi'd he now could hurt no more I cannot in my rimes the names contain Of blessed Maids that did make up her train Calliope nor Clio could suffice Nor all the other seven for th' enterprise Yet some I will insert may justly claime Precedency of others Lucrece came On her right hand Penelope was by Those broke his bow and made his arrowes ly Split on the ground and pull'd his plumes away From off his wings after Virginia Nere her vext father arm'd with wrath and hate Fury and ir'n and Love he freed the state And her from slavery with a manly blow Next were those barbarous women who could show They judg'd it better die then suffer wrong To their rude Chastitie the wise and strong The chaste Hebraean Judith followeth these The Greeke that sav'd her honour in the Seas With these and other famous soules I see Her Triumph over him who us'd to be Master of all the world Amongst the rest The vestall Nunne I spide who was so blest As by a wonder to preserve her fame Next came Hersilia the Romane Dame Or Sabine rather with her valarous train Who prove all flanders on that sexe are vain Then ' mongft the forraign Ladies she whose faith T' her husband not Aeneas caus'd her death The vulgar ignorant may hold their peace Her safety to her Chastitie gave place Dido I mean whom no vain passion led As fame belies her last the vertuous Maide Retir'd to Aruns who no rest could finde Her friends constraining power forc't her minde The Triumph thither went where salt waves wet The Bayan shore eastward her foot she set There on firme land and did Avernus leave On the one hand on th' other Sybils Cave So to Lencernus marcht the Village where The noble Africane lies buried there The great newes of her Triumph did appeare As glorious to the eye as to the eare The fame had been and the most chaste did show Most beautifull it griev'd Love much to go Anothers prisoner expos'd to scorne Who to command whole Empires seemed borne Thus to the chiefest City all were led Entring the Temple which Sulpitia made Sacred it drives all madnesse from the minde And chastities pure Temple next we finde Which in brave soules doth modest thoughts beget Not by Plebeians entred but the great Patrician Dames there were the spoyles displaid Of the faire victresse there her palmes she laid And did commit them to the Thuscan youth Whose marring scarres beare witnesse of his truth With others more whose names I fully knew My guide instructed me that overthrew The power of Love 'mongst whom of all the rest Hyppolito and Joseph were the best The end of this Chapter ANNOTATIONS Upon the Triumph of CHASTITIE PHoebus and Leander 5. line Phoebus loved Daphne and Leander Hero Juno 7. line Juno loved Jupiter so much that shee was troublesomly jealous if shee can be called jealous that had so much wrong Carthage dame 7. line Dido shee burned her selfe in her husbands funerall pile lest she should bee compelled to marry an importunate suiter or bring warre on her Countrey Camilla 57. line She was Queene of the Amazons it is said they cut off their right brests that they might shoot with the more ease Caesar in Pharsalia 59. line That famous battell in which he overcame Pompey the great and made way to the Empire Religious vertues 64. line Faith and Hope Italian Commentarie The twinnes 69. line Justice and Fortitude Italian Commentarie The Romane youth 81. line Scipio who overcame Hannibal Typheus groans 95. line Typheus was one of the Giants that warred with heaven there was a mountaine throwne upon him under which when hee groanes it sends forth smoke fire and stones with great noise Nor Aetna 95. line Another mountaine which was cast upon Enceladus another Giant the smoke and fire of all these burning mountains proceeds from the Giants that lie oppressed under them Slew Medusa 100. line The shield of Perseus which turned all that beheld it to stones Jasp 101. line Jasp hath a qualitie to make one chaste Lethe flood 103. line Forgetfulnesse an excellent cure for Love and the tooth-ake Diamonds c. 104. line Diamonds is thought maketh the wearers constant Topasses make chaste for which two causes they were worn by Ladies of old but I hope they are not needfull now Calliope c. 112. 113. line the nine Muses Lucrece 114. line A knowne Story shee killed her selfe after Tarquin had ravished her Penellope 115. line The chaste wife of Vlisses Virginia 118. line Virginia being a beautifull young Maid was adjudged a bondwoman by Appius Claudius that hee might obtain his owne base ends her father seeing no other way to preserve her liberty and chastity killed her which occasioned the alteration of that government by which Appius had his power and gave liberty to the people Judged it better die 123. line Their husbands fathers brothers c. being killed and chased by Marius they hanged themselves Italian Commentarie The Greeke c. 126. line Hippo a Grecian maide who being embarked against her will by one who intended to dishonour her leapt in to the Sea and drowned her self Italian Commentarie The vestall Nunne 130 line Called Tucia who cleared her selfe from a false accusation by carrying water in a sive Hirsilia 132. line Wife to Romulus shee with the other Romane wives all Sabine women who had been stollen from their kindred seeing their husbands ready to fight with their fathers brothers cousins c. ranne in betwixt them and opposing themselves to the naked swords staid the fury of the fight brought them to a parley and so to an agreement Dido I mean 139. line Petrarch it seems was much troubled at the wrong done to Dido by Virgil who to honour his Aeneas will needs have it that she forfeit her honour to him when in true History it is knowne hee never see her this he glanceth at in her defence three severall times for which I thanke him Retired to Arnus 141. line One Piccarda who rendered her selfe a Nunne but was taken out by her friends and compelled to marry Italian Commentar. Baian shore 144. line Baiae is a Citie in Campania called so from the hot bathes that are in it it lieth alongst the Coast of the Mediterran sea south-east from the mouth of Tiber and giveth name to the Bay neare it where Lauretta landed Avernus 145. line A great Lake nere Baiae Sybils cave 146. line A cave not farre from Avernus where Sybilla called Cumea was wonted to give her answers Linternum 147. line A little Village in Campania honoured by the death and buriall of the elder Scipio By Sulpitia 156. line Sulpitia was a vertuous and learned Lady of Rome who lived and wrote in the time of Domitian it seemeth she